English

Abstract

Source control of acid rock drainage (ARD) requires consideration of both biological and abiotic mechanisms of metal sulfide oxidation. A promising approach is to couple a biocide with phosphate for application to sulfidic waste materials. This approach aims to 1) inhibit or kill with thiocyanate (SCN) the iron-oxidizing acidophilic microorganisms that accelerate sulfide oxidation and 2) precipitate FePO4 and AlPO4, thereby removing ferric ion oxidant and Lewis acidity, and, in the process, armoring the surface of pyrite to retard its abiotic oxidation. Thiocyanate effectively reduces sulfide biooxidation if it is applied efficiently and is not washed out of the system by rainfall or adsorbed to the rock. Several sources of phosphate including phosphate rock, waste material and agricultural products were characterized and tested in combination with SCN for their ability to retard oxidation of sulfidic waste rock. Waste rock sources include samples from base metal and precious metal mines and a coal mine. The acid neutralizing capacities (ANC) of different sources of phosphate were compared and evaluated using an artificial ARD solution which included iron and aluminum sulfates. Thiocyanate alone in laboratory tests sharply reduced ARD production, approaching the abiotic rate of sulfide oxidation. Whether thiocyanate plus phosphate further reduced ARD production depended on the mineral sulfide composition of the waste rock and the parameter measured. The abiotic sulfide oxidation rate of sphalerite-containing waste rock was reduced with phosphate treatment, most likely by removal of residual ferric iron from leach solutions. Phosphate did not further reduce abiotic sulfide oxidation rates with a pyritic waste rock, but did significantly reduce the soluble iron and other metal content of leachates. The combined thiocyanate plus phosphate treatment minimized biooxidation, removed ferric ion oxidant, and restricted formation of Lewis acidity but has not shown evidence of armoring pyrite. The laboratory test work guided the set up and operation of a 3000 t field test. ARD production was reduced over 50% in the first season with combined thiocyanate and phosphate treatment. However, washout of thiocyanate and its adsorption to rock reduced its concentrations in leachates to near zero in the second year of the test, greatly reducing the effectiveness of chemical treatment. Water soluble forms of thiocyanate (NaSCN) are best used to reduce ARD in situations where rainfall infiltration is low. The development of slowor controlled-release thiocyanate products combined with phosphates would be beneficial. Additional key words: ARD prevention, phosphate, thiocyanate ______________________ 1 Paper presented at the 7 th International Conference on Acid Rock Drainage (ICARD), March 26-30, 2006, St. Louis MO. R.I. Barnhisel (ed.) Published by the American Society of Mining and Reclamation (ASMR), 3134 Montavesta Road, Lexington, KY 40502 2 Gregory J. Olson, Vice President, Thomas R. Clark, Senior Scientist, Little Bear Laboratories, Inc., Golden, CO 80403; Terry I. Mudder, Managing Director, TIMES, Ltd., Sheridan, WY 82801; Mark Logsdon, Principal Geochemist, Geochimica Inc., Aptos, CA 95003. 7 th International Conference on Acid Rock Drainage, 2006 pp 1435-1452 DOI: 10.21000/JASMR06021435